Erudio Academy
by MorganMay444
Summary: After finishing Hogwarts, Hermione and Draco attend the most prestigious Magic Academy in England. Where Hermione becomes popular and Draco becomes an outcast. Yet Hermione still can't get the ex-Slytherin out of her head.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione Granger tugged her suitcase along on its wheels, surveying the academy grounds around her. Despite the fact it was September, the plants were still alive and green. Everywhere she looked was green, with the odd bunch of flowers spread throughout the bushes. Some of them were recognisable from her books, they reminded her of Neville. He'd love it here. All of her friends would.

The witch's train of thought was interrupted when Erudio Academy entered her sights. It was beautiful. An old stone building, with bright green ivy climbing up the front of it. Three small towers sat atop the building, one at each end and one in the middle. They had nothing on the Hogwarts towers though, no other building ever would really. Steps led up to the entrance, with several people stood talking on them. There would probably be a lot more new students around if she hadn't arrived a week earlier than she needed to. However, that was simply the Hermione Granger way. Always had been.

"Hello there!" As the witch neared the steps, a young woman descended towards her with a welcoming grin. "Welcome to Erudio Academy! My name's Francesca and I'm a student representative." The young woman offered her hand, which Hermione shook with a small smile. She'd read every book she could find on Erudio Academy, so knew the general jobs of a student representative.

"Hermione Granger. New student." Her hand fell back to her side, watching as Francesca's eyes grew wide.

"Hermione Granger? _The_ Hermione Granger?" That was a question she'd grown used to over the last few months. Hermione nodded silently, not wanting to draw attention to herself. "Oh my goodness! It is such a pleasure to meet you! All the things you did in the second wizarding war were amazing! You are so brave!" Francesca gushed, liked many of the new people Hermione had met since the war ended.

"Thank you." The war heroine nodded politely, before changing the subject. "Erm, do you think you could tell me where the first year dorms are?"

"Oh, of course! I can show you! The women's dorm is in the Nightingale Wing, which is on the right side of the building." Francesca pointed to the right side of the academy. "Everything to do with us women is on the right side. Bathrooms and such." The two young witches began to walk towards the building. "The dorms probably aren't what you'll expect, I've been told they're not like the Hogwarts ones. They're more like Muggle flats, you will have two flat mates." As much as the student representative thought she was helping, Hermione already knew all this. However, Hermione decided to humour her, it was only polite.

The inside of the building was just as striking as the outside. It resembled Hogwarts much more on the inside, with moving portraits and the odd suit of armour. The Nightingale Wing had walls lined with well-known women in history, Muggle and Magical alike. Unfortunately, the Muggle portraits didn't move like the magic ones. Joan of Arc was posed valiantly on a horse in one frame, while Marie Curie stood proudly clutching her Nobel Prize in another.

"The Muggle portraits are my favourites." Francesca smiled up at Joan of Arc admirably. Hermione was about to agree when she spotted more portraits on the opposite wall. One showed Daisy Dodderidge stood outside the very pub she founded – The Leaky Cauldron. The second frame in her line of sight depicted Wendelin the Weird, hiding from a group of fire wielding Muggles. Hermione had only ever seen their faces in books, too small to study properly, so she took this chance to get up close to each portrait. "Wendelin enjoys running through all the other portraits, including the Muggle ones." Francesca started walking again, waiting momentarily for Hermione to catch up. "Your room is just up here." They moved another few yards before the student representative stopped, turning to face a wooden door identical to all the others in the hallway.

"I have to press my wand into the keyhole, don't I?" Hermione asked, retrieving her wand from her pocket.

"Right! It will recognise your wand and let you in, just as it will with your flat mates." Francesca explained more details the new student already knew. "I'll let you get settled, then you can come find me downstairs if you like. I'll show you around." With that, the witch went on her way. This left Hermione to stare at the door for a moment, before sticking her wand into the keyhole. The wood became warm between her fingers, then there was a click and she pushed open the door.

Francesca had been right about it resembling a Muggle flat. The room was large, split into two sections. One section included a kitchenette and small dining table, four chairs sat around it. While the other half was dominated by two couches and a comfy looking arm chair, rug lying beneath them. The room was coloured with soft mid-tones, yellows and pinks with white floral patterns. Nothing too bright and in your face, just how Hermione liked it. Three doors led out of the room, all closed. There was a name on each one; Grace, Mildred and Hermione. So they didn't get to pick their rooms, she hadn't read that part but Hermione didn't mind much. It was better than sharing with four other girls, like she had done since she was eleven.

Her bedroom door didn't require her wand this time, but a password. After deliberating for a good ten minutes, Hermione made the password 'friends' and the door swung open. She almost gasped at how lovely the room was. The colour scheme was that of Gryffindor, but they were more subtle tones. Her bed was just like the one at Hogwarts, with lighter maroon coloured sheets and golden details in the wood of the four posters. A large oak desk sat beneath the window, which gave her a stunning view of the lake in the grounds. Everything reminded her of Hogwarts, so she already felt at home.

Hermione sat on the bed with a happy sigh, flicking her wand to open her suitcase. She picked out a photo frame and placed it on her new desk. Harry and Ron grinned up at her, fighting to fill more of the frame than the other. She smiled down at them, running a finger down the glass. They'd only been with her this morning to say goodbye, yet she already missed them. None of them could remember the last time they'd been apart for more than a month. Harry had said they'd visit when they could, but Hermione knew they were busy with Auror training and it was unlikely she'd see them before Christmas.

The sadness was about to swallow her up again, when the sound of the front door opening made her jump to attention with wand in hand. She then proceeded to roll her eyes at herself, knowing perfectly well she didn't need her wand. It was a habit she still hadn't got over yet. "Hello?" A slightly high pitched voice called, followed by a deeper murmur she couldn't make out.

"Hi." Hermione stood in her doorway, smiling politely at the two women standing in the middle of the room.

"Hermione Granger! I told you Mildred! She's _the_ Hermione Granger!" The high pitched women bounded forward, engulfing Hermione in a hug before she had much choice. This must have been Grace, if she'd addressed the other as Mildred.

"Don't suffocate the poor girl, Grace." Mildred stepped forward, a disapproving look on her face.

"Oh, right." Grace backed off. "Sorry. I'm just so excited to meet you! I've read all about you and everything you did!" If the woman wasn't so bubbly and possibly crazy, Hermione might have got sick of all this recognition. She wasn't sure what to say though, just smiling awkwardly at them. Luckily, Mildred filled the silence.

"Mildred, as you may have guessed." Mildred offered her hand and Hermione shook it. Both girls acted like friends, but didn't necessarily look it. Grace was wearing a light grey floral dress that complimented her auburn skin beautifully. Mildred on the other hand, was wearing jeans and a leather jacket. Grace was a girly girl, Mildred was most definitely not.

"Nice to meet you both." Hermione tucked messy strands of hair behind her ear, hoping she still looked presentable enough.

"What are you studying, Hermione? There have been so many different rumours." Grace looked far too excited, so much so Hermione nearly backed away a bit.

"Magical Law Enforcement." She announced perhaps a little too proudly.

"I knew it! Didn't I tell you, Mildred?" Grace was practically jumping up and down now, causing her friend to place a calming hand on her shoulder. It worked almost immediately.

"You did." Mildred nodded. "Grace here is studying Apparition testing, and I'm studying to be an Obliviator." Two jobs Hermione found endlessly interesting, but they just weren't her calling. Magical Law had been her calling since second year, since S.P.E.W. began. "We'll let you get on, we can get to know each other over dinner? We can eat up here or go down to the dining hall." Mildred suggested, before Grace could pipe up again.

"That sounds lovely." Hermione nodded, quite happy with her new flatmates. She could still hear them as she shut her door.

"Ha, look! They've given us a room _each_." Mildred was chuckling.

"Oh, hush you." Grace must have hit Mildred, as the other witch made a noise of pain. Then a door closed and all went silent.

The grounds of Erudio Academy were heaving with new students chattering away to each other about the upcoming year, cases sat at their feet waiting to be unpacked. Draco Malfoy was not included in the happily chattering crowd, if anything he was the complete opposite. The blonde young man was walking alone, his case levitating behind him. He seemed to be the only person using magic to transport it; everyone else was using the Muggle way. This was causing him to receive more attention than intended. Whispers followed him as he walked, looks of distaste and distrust being shot at him from every direction. Well, that was fine, he was used to that.

The Academy building looked just as he expected, old and grand, made of stone. It looked like a smaller and cheaper version of Hogwarts. The staff evidently couldn't even be bothered to get rid of the hideous ivy crawling unharmonious up the front of it. It felt familiar, and yet Draco didn't like it. Not one bit. Luckily, all he had to do was get through the next year, and make it into the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad. Then he'd never have to see the place again, or most of the people in it.

The former Slytherin ascended the steps up to the entrance, fully aware of several eyes on him. A group of students wearing brightly coloured tops were watching him from the top of the steps. One of the girls nudged one of the guys, nodding her head towards the blond man. They all knew exactly who he was, and the man she'd nudged reluctantly made his way towards Draco. It was evident he didn't want to be doing this.

"Welcome to Erudio Academy, I'm Ben." The man, now known as Ben, put his hand out. Draco stared at it with furrowed brow, but did not shake it. "Okay… What room are you in? I can direct you to it." Ben looked awkwardly over his shoulder at the group, having half a mind to jinx them for making him talk to this prick Malfoy. Draco looked down at the paper work in his hand, scanning it for his room number or name.

"12A." Draco thrust the paper into Ben's hands, so the other man could check it or whatever he wanted to do with it. Ben took it with raised brows, running his eyes over it briefly before handing it back.

"You're in the Barnardo Wing. Enter the building and climb the stairs to the left, everything for us men is on the left side of the building." Ben pointed in the direction he spoke of, stepping aside to let Draco pass. So the man wasn't going to walk him to his room? That was absolutely fine with him. Without another word, not even a thanks, Draco continued to climb the steps and entered the academy.

More people bumbled around inside the building, with its walls covered in portraits of well known witches and wizards. He was almost surprised not to stumble across a varnished frame with the Golden Trio grinning down at him, but then again there were plenty more corridors they could be hanging in. Hopefully he wouldn't have to traverse that corridor any time soon. Truth be told, he should be so bitter at them, they'd ensured he didn't go to Azkaban. However, at the same time they had ensured his father _did_. So now his mother was in that massive manor all alone, which he wasn't happy about at all.

It was only when he reached the top of the staircase and realised he was in the right corridor for his room, that the portraits on the wall became unrecognisable. A man stood proudly surrounded by children in one, but none of them were moving. It was a Muggle portrait. This realisation made him frown, eyes narrowing at the words beneath the image. _'Doctor Barnardo.' _He must have been whom the men's wing was named after. Draco grunted with disgust, and continued to walk along the corridor, ignoring any other portraits.

A door with the right number on came into view, and he grabbed the knob to turn it. The brass turned boiling hot and Draco let go quickly. "Shit." He hissed, cradling his burnt hand in the other. "What the fu-"

"Hello?" The door swung open to reveal a short young man, who looked startled to say the least. His dark red hair was messy, glasses sat atop his nose slightly askew. It took him barely a minute to realise who had made a ruckus outside the door. "You're Draco Malfoy, aren't you?" This didn't seem to make the man look any more comfortable.

"Yes. What are you doing in my room?" Draco demanded, pushing his way through the door. It soon became clear by the set up of the room that it wasn't just for him. There was a kitchen and lounging area, but no bed. Instead three doors led off the room, where he imaged the bedrooms were. Not just the one.

"Oh, three of us are sharing this flat. Didn't you know?" The man closed their door behind him, still looking very unsure of himself. "I'm Jacob, by the way." Jacob went to offer his hand, but the look on Draco's face made him drop it back to his side relatively quickly.

"Does it look like I knew?" The blonde spat, barging past Jacob and towards the three doors. One had Jacob's name on, while the other two were blank. "I assume I pick whichever one I want." Draco didn't wait for a response, shoving the left hand door open and stalking inside.

"It was nice to meet you." Jacob's voice was drowned out by the slam of Draco's door.

This was not what Draco had signed up for. Everyone he'd come across in regards to this school had failed to mention he'd be sharing a living space. Probably because they knew how he'd react, he'd grown pretty predictable over the years. Life just wasn't fair, or some people would probably call it karma. He hadn't exactly been a good boy during school, something he was slowly growing to regret. That damn mark on his arm reminded him of that everyday. Draco sat on his bed and pulled up his sleeve, staring blankly at the Dark Mark. It didn't stir any feelings in him, it didn't stand for anything any more. It was just there. The ink had faded substantially since the war ended, faster than he'd expected it to. But if someone were to look at his arm, they'd still undoubtedly see it. Unfortunately, it hadn't faded _that_ much. Draco had come to the conclusion a while back that he'd have to live with it forever. He supposed everyone would have to live with (or without) something from the war, whether it be this or losing a loved one. The two were very different, but it was the same principle.

The rest of his day was spent unpacking then repacking his things, as he half considered leaving the Academy. However, he hadn't even been here a few hours, and Draco Malfoy wasn't a quitter. It was while unpacking again, that someone knocked on his door. "Go away!" He called, hoping the person would listen. They didn't.

"Draco? It's Jacob. It's time for the welcome feast, are you coming?" Why in the world would he want to go to the welcome feast, when they had a perfectly good kitchen just outside his door? The last thing he wanted was to be surrounded by people judging him. "All students are meant to attend the welcome feast!" Jacob was persistent, Draco would give him that. Maybe one meal couldn't hurt, everyone would be too excited to pay him any mind.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming." The blonde shoved his wand in his pocket and opened the door, where Jacob was stood beaming excitedly. "Let's get this over with." Both men left their room, but not before Jacob explained how they were meant to get in without the door burning them. Draco just rolled his eyes and started their walk to the dinning hall. Less people noticed him than earlier, possibly because he was walking with Jacob and not on his own. It made the former Slytherin almost thankful for Jacob's presence.

"Where shall we sit?" Jacob asked as they entered the hall, turning to his new room mate for help.

"I don't know." Draco shrugged, spotting a space free near the end of one of the long tables. It was set out very much like Hogwarts' Great Hall, except the tables were not for specific houses. Anyone could sit where they wanted by the looks of it. Jacob spotted where Draco was looking, and quickly ushered him to sit. As they did, a few people nearby stared at them. The blonde glared at them, while Jacob started to introduce himself. Draco groaned, placing a hand on his forehead. Maybe he could slip out now and none of the professors would notice. "Jacob, I'm leav-" His words died between his lips, eyes transfixed at something across the room. There were students moving in and out of his eye line, but he was only focused on one. Hermione Granger was sat at the furthest away table, surrounded by people all trying to get her attention. Draco had heard rumours she might be attending Erudio Academy, but he hadn't believed any of them. If she wasn't right there in front of him now, he still wouldn't.

"Draco? You alright?" Jacob nudged him, which made the blonde jerk away and snap out of staring.

"Fine." Draco nodded quickly, studying the wood of the table with fake interest. This didn't last long though, and soon enough he was staring over at Granger again. She looked different, but it was difficult to put his finger on how.

"Is that Hermione Granger?" Jacob had noticed where his room mate was looking, and was craning his neck for a better look.

"Stop it! Yes it is." The blonde shoved Jacob back in his seat to stop him looking, angry he'd allowed himself to get caught staring.

"She's beautiful. You went to school with her didn't you?" Jacob didn't seem too deterred by the shoving, simply trying to catch a glimpse more discreetly now. Draco barely registered the question, too confused and appalled by Jacob's first comment. Hermione Granger _wasn't_ beautiful. Was she?


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione's first lesson of the year was '_Regulation and Control'_, which she shared with seventeen other students. The seat she'd picked upon arrival was at the very front of the room, while no other students had elected to sit quite so far forward. The desks were spread evenly apart, in two lines with an aisle down the middle for their professor to pass through. The walls in here weren't so covered with portraits, instead two landscape paintings hung against the old wood. Both were on the back wall.

"Okay, so can anyone tell me the difference between regulation and control?" Their professor had told them at the beginning of the lesson to call him Geoff, which Hermione was very uncomfortable about. Her hand shot into the air, along with another sixteen pairs that were not quite as enthusiastic. "Well, I think we all know whose hand went up first. Hermione?" A pink tinge coloured the witch's cheeks as she straightened up in her chair and cleared her throat.

"Control usually refers to the authoritative influence and restraint over people's actions or an event. While regulation refers to direct rules and laws designed to govern conduct." It sounded like it came straight out of a text book, despite the fact none of the books on her desk were open yet.

"Precisely." Geoff nodded his praise, before scribbling a summary of what Hermione had said onto the whiteboard. She sat proudly in her seat, glancing back at the rest of the class. There was a mix of people looking pleased for her, and people who didn't look like they cared. That used to surprise her while at Hogwarts, but over the years she'd realised people just weren't into learning like she was. Although you might expect a bit more interest if people had to pass tests to get into Erudio Academy.

The lesson went on for a further hour and a half before they were dismissed. The timetable was sparse compared to her old Hogwarts ones. She had three lessons a day on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, then she only had one lesson on a Wednesday and two on a Friday. Where she had no lessons were free periods, and weekends were personal days. More time to study in her opinion.

"Hermione!" Grace appeared out of nowhere, Mildred close behind. Hermione jumped, having barely stepped foot out of her classroom.

"Grace! You made me jump." The startled witch held a hand over her heart for a moment, attempting to calm its erratic beating.

"Yeah, she'll do that." Mildred smirked slightly, obviously used to Grace's behaviour. "We wondered if you wanted spend break with us, get a coffee or something?" It was a nice thought, and considering Hermione hadn't met many people yet she took them up on their offer. They navigated the busy corridors, listening to Grace's description of her first Apparition teacher training session. It hadn't been very hands on apparently, mainly theory work. Hermione tried to explain the first few lessons would probably consist of just theory to prepare them, but Grace insisted it would be more hands on next time.

Mere seconds before another response could exit Hermione's mouth, she stopped dead in her tracks. This caused something of a domino effect, as Grace stopped abruptly too and Mildred smacked into the back of her. "Mildred!" The shorter girl whined, rubbing her back.

"Sorry! Are you alright? Why did you stop?" Mildred placed a hand on Grace's back, giving it a gentle caress too.

"I stopped because Hermione stopped." During this entire exchange, neither girl had noticed their new friend staring off into what could have been the bloody abyss for all they knew. They both finally turned to Hermione, brows furrowing in unison. "Hermione? What is it?" Two sets of curious, and slightly worried, eyes followed Hermione's gaze down the corridor. Grace didn't seem to see whatever it was Hermione was seeing, but Mildred did.

"That's Draco Malfoy, isn't it?" Her tone turned cold, and she took a step towards Grace. Hermione didn't answer.

"Where?" Grace didn't sound quite as icy as her friend, but her normal cheer was gone. Malfoy was talking to a short man, his face not giving away anything about his current state of mind. It was only when his face came into better view that Grace spotted him. "Oh." Was all she could find to say.

"You knew him, didn't you? At Hogwarts?" Mildred decided to be the inquisitive one for a change. Everyone knew the Malfoy name these days, and not for good things obviously. Hermione hadn't seen him since his hearing, which was more than four months ago. He looked the same on the outside, but something on the inside was different. She could just tell.

"I did." Words finally made it up her windpipe, and the witch dragged her eyes away from him.

"I hear he's not very nice." Grace frowned, crossing her arms. This made Mildred scoff beside her.

"That's an understatement compared to what I've heard." There was no mincing words with Mildred, she got straight to the point.

"What have you heard?" Hermione wasn't sure why she was asking, as her eyes were drawn back to the blonde. It was simply curiosity. Things at Erudio Academy were going to be a lot different, the pecking order had transformed. She was at the top now.

"That he's a complete arsehole. We all know what happened during the war, _before_ the war. My friend Ben met him on the first day and said he was rude and obnoxious." That sure sounded like Malfoy, maybe nothing on the inside had changed. Maybe she was just hoping it had.

"Should we go and confront him?" Grace looked up at Mildred with concerned eyes, teeth nibbling on her nails.

"No!" Hermione answered before Mildred could get a word in. Luckily, the shaking of her head indicated she would have said the same anyway. The longer Malfoy didn't know she was here, the better. He probably wouldn't be happy to see her, and she wasn't exactly thrilled to see him. There had been one or two whispers about his application to study at Erudio. Ron had mentioned something about it during a meal at the Burrow, but no one had given it any heed. It didn't seem like the sort of thing Malfoy would do, his time at Hogwarts hadn't been particularly fruitful so why would he want to continue his studies somewhere else.

"Alright. Shall we go get some coffee then?" Grace was back to her normal self in seconds, excited to get coffee. The three witches turned a corner, and two of them let Draco Malfoy slip from their minds.

His lessons weren't so bad, a positive to being in this place they called an academy. Most professors were keen to go through the theory first, and didn't plan to get hands on for a few weeks. Draco supposed this was to be expected, it didn't look like many of his class mates would handle jumping straight in very well. There were an even amount of men and women, but most of the woman seemed to fit in better with the men anyway. All muscles, no make-up. Draco didn't mind this though, it wasn't like he was looking to meet a woman or anything. Most women these days knew who he was and kept well away. He could only hope people would forget what he did after a few years, then he could actively seek out a partner. Right now, he was fine on his own.

"I want a list of situations where you think your reversal skills would be needed, on my desk by Friday morning. We'll discuss them in the lesson." Professor Shore, the first professor Draco met, was a very tall man. That was the first thing anyone who met him would notice. The second would be his impressive beard, which reminded Draco, regrettably on his part, of the Hogwarts gameskeeper. It wasn't quite as wild as Hagrid's chin bush, the professor had obvious decorum that allowed him to maintain it appropriately.

This lesson had been the first in ten years, where Draco found himself putting his hand up and actively engaging with the professor. It didn't feel like just a lesson he had to do, it was interesting. In all honesty, it _wasn't_ a lesson he had to take, he'd chosen to come here. Perhaps that hadn't been such a made choice after all. The other students still gave him a wide birth, but nobody said anything and his professor didn't seem to care about his past either. It was just before Draco left the classroom at the end of the lesson, that Professor Shore called his name. "Can I have a word?" The blonde nodded in reply and did a one-eighty back towards his professor. He didn't know what to say upon reaching the front desk, so didn't say anything. "I couldn't help noticing your hesitation when it came to answering questions, Mr Malfoy. I'm just curious as to why? You got all the answers right." This was not what Draco had been expecting, his hand coming up to wipe his brow.

"I don't know. I guess I don't want to draw too much attention to myself. What with everything that's happened." His mouth spewed these truths without any permission from his brain, and he begged the floor to swallow him whole. This wasn't something his professor needed to hear, or anyone else for that matter. It made him look vulnerable and weak, like he actually cared what other people thought of him. Which he didn't. At all.

"Ah, I see." Shore began to run his fingers over his beard, regarding his new student closely. "The past is the past, Mr Malfoy. We have all done things we wish we hadn't. See Erudio as a new start, everyone is here to learn and become the best they can be. Sure, some people will judge you along the way, but ultimately we're all here for the same reason and people forget." This little pep talk actually did make Draco feel better, though he tried his best not to change his expression.

"Right. Thank you, professor." He nodded, then glanced back at the door. "Am I alright to go now?" It might have sounded rude, but Shore didn't say anything other than yes.

The corridors were full of people on their way to lunch, which Draco planned on having up in his room. What was the point of giving people their own kitchens if they weren't going to use them? Plus, it meant less people to deal with, not so many pairs of eyes. Luckily, his shared quarters were empty, and he went about making himself lunch. Half the Muggle way and half with his wand, as some of the appliances wouldn't answer to his wand. A sandwich would do, and he sat with it on the sofa. Crumbs went everywhere, and Draco made a mental note never to eat a sandwich on the furniture again. With a few flicks of his wand, the mess was gone, but that wasn't the point. He'd make sure to tell the others next time he saw them. There was no way he was living in their filth. Not that he'd met the second occupant of their quarters yet anyway.

The rest of his day consisted of study time, which Draco planned on spending in the library. A nice quiet corner where no one will bother him, and he could make a start on his first piece of homework. It wouldn't be too hard to write a list of accidents younger witches and wizards could have, he'd had plenty himself when he was a kid. When his lunch was finished, he gathered his things and went in search of the library.

It didn't take him long to find it, he'd simply followed a studious looking girl carrying lots of books. She hadn't noticed him behind her, thank goodness. That could have proved awkward to try and explain. Draco weaved his way through the bookcases, picking out a few books from the accidental magic reversal section, before sitting at a round table in a secluded corner. He spread his books out around a quill and parchment, writing down the title and his name at the top. The list was getting lengthy as he skimmed one book after another. Three piles had formed on the table, the tallest consisting of books he wanted to read properly, the smallest including books he didn't, and the middle one of books he hadn't looked at yet. Some accidents he'd never heard of before, such as children transforming body parts into things that were most definitely not body parts. That was quite advanced magical development, as transfiguration was a difficult ability to master at the best of times. His own childhood incidents hadn't been half as bad.

Draco didn't know how long he'd been sat reading, both feet now resting up on the table as he lounged back in his seat. His concentration was so difficult to break, that he hadn't noticed someone watching him. It took her shadow falling over his book, to make him look up in surprise.

"Do you fu-" The words died in his throat yet again, she seemed to have that affect on him of late. Granger stood above him, silhouetted by the candle floating behind her. He didn't need to be able to see her face fully to know it was her.

"I didn't mean to startle you." Her voice was just how he remembered it, annoying. She was quieter now though, evidently cautious.

"Why did you sneak up on me then?" Draco scowled, before turning his attention back to his book. He wouldn't let her get to him.

"I wasn't sneaking, I just didn't want to disturb you from your book." She tried to get a look at what he was reading, her eyes scanning the piles of books.

"You were sneaking." The blonde countered, not raising his eyes from his book.

"I was not." Hermione snapped unintentionally, eyes growing wide in surprise at herself. She kept silent from then on, simply watching him with interest. The witch was sure she'd never seen him with so many books.

"What do you want?" Straight to the point, as usual. Draco didn't plan to sugar coat anything when it came to Granger. She was a grown woman now, with many new friends, if the other night in the hall was anything to go by.

"Nothing." That was literally the best she could think of, as Hermione really didn't know why she'd come here. There was just this bubble of curiosity around Malfoy, that she was desperate to explore. Plus, he was a familiar face in a place full of unfamiliar people. His presence was almost comforting, though she'd never admit that, not even to herself.

"Then why are you here? To annoy me?" Draco didn't care if he was being rude, he'd been rude to her for years before now.

"I thought you might want some company." Again, she had no idea what she was saying. Her head was completely scrambled and any old thing was spouting from her mouth to fill the void.

"Why would I want _your_ company?" He spat harshly, glancing up from his book in time to see something flash behind her eyes. It could have been anger, or hurt, he didn't know. It was difficult to tell the difference sometimes.

"Because I'm the only person here you know." Hermione glared at him, crossing her arms. The answer to her earlier query was no, he hadn't changed. Not one bit.

"Well, you assumed wrong. So leave me alone." If Draco was honest, it _was_ nice to have someone there he knew. But that didn't mean he wanted to spend any time with her, or even see her.

"We're not at Hogwarts anymore, Malfoy. You're allowed to talk to me, to be civil at least. Things are different now, things have changed." She was referring to the blood debate of course, and how most people no longer cared about heritage.

"You haven't changed." Draco stated simply, lifting his gaze to stare blankly at her. Hermione fell silent, not having expected that response and not knowing how to take it. What did he mean? Did he mean she hadn't changed as a person? Did he mean her blood was still dirty? She was confused, and angry, and hurt.

"Evidently, neither have you. People aren't going to put up with your shit here, Malfoy." The witch's voice had raised several octaves, and she decided to take herself out of the situation before things got worse. Hermione opened her mouth to speak again, but didn't bother. Instead, she turned on her heal and walked away. Draco watched her disappear into the darkness, closing his book and placing it on the read again pile.

"That could've been worse." He muttered to himself, before packing his things away and retreating back to the safety of his room.


	3. Chapter 3

"Times have changed, Malfoy. Your views are old news these days my friend." After his eventful evening in the library, Draco had returned to his room to find his second and final flatmate downing a glass of whiskey on the sofa. His name was Miles, and despite all the signs telling Draco he shouldn't like this man, he did. Miles was only a little taller than him with short curly hair, and the posh accent Lucius had always wanted him to have but never caught on. Within ten minutes of meeting, they were both sat on the sofas putting the world to rights, while Jacob sat with a bottle of beer listening eagerly.

"But your family goes way back too, you must have been brought up on the same views as me." Draco was currently trying to understand how Miles didn't have the same opinions of Muggleborns and blood purity. Their upbringings were similar by the sounds of what had been discussed so far, so what was different.

"Yes, we believed in pureblood supremacy, I'm not saying we didn't. What I'm saying is that voicing those beliefs isn't a feasible practise anymore. People won't put up with it, there are too many talented Muggleborns. Heritage doesn't mean squat to people if you can wave a wand decently. It isn't 1990 anymore, it's nearly 2000. You have to roll with the times, let prejudice go, or you're going to have a very lonely existence." Miles seemed to know what he was talking about, an air of confidence surrounding him. He'd been taught at a wizarding school in the south of England, which Draco hadn't even known existed until now.

"So you're telling me you don't think Muggleborns are inferior to us purebloods? We were born into this world, our parents were born into it. Yet they can flounce in whenever, without any of their family having been magical. I don't get how that can be seen as okay." Draco wasn't going to let it drop, not yet anyway.

"Inferior, no. Challenged, yes. No one gets to decide who shows promise of magic in their veins. They most certainly don't get to choose to enter our world. I imagine a lot of them would have an easier life not knowing about our existence. If you're chosen, you're chosen." Their new flatmate took another swig of whiskey, seemingly enjoying this little discussion. It was enjoyable to have someone intelligent to talk to, even if that persons views were slightly old fashioned.

"Challenged? HA. They get things handed to them on a plate because of their blood. This isn't as black and white as your making it out to be." Draco leaned forward, elbows on his knees and glass in hand. He didn't think he'd meet someone his own age who also liked whiskey, it was a pleasant surprise.

"Handed to them on a plate? Are you having a laugh? _We_ have had it handed to us on a plate, our blood was seen as better than everyone else's since we were born. I say it's about time someone else has the gauntlet." Miles seemed deadly serious, which worried Draco slightly. On the other hand, this was all making him rethink things. Things he had been quite happy to think were set in stone. "The only thing that makes them different to us, Malfoy, is the fact their parents can't perform magic. That's it." The man got to his feet and placed his now empty glass in the sink. He stood briefly at Draco's side and said, "Not much, is it?" before wishing them goodnight and retreating to his room.

Draco sat on the sofa for a long time after that, Jacob had departed and his whiskey was drained. A lot to mull over, despite not wanting to mull it over. Could Miles have been right? He was also from a high standing family, he wasn't one of these Muggle hugging people who thought everything non-magic was great. Things were changing around him, while he stayed the same. Life was leaving him behind in a pool of self righteousness, that was becoming increasingly difficult to get out of. As Miles had said, a lonely existence lay ahead of him.

Hermione sat with her back against the trunk of a large oak tree, knees up to her chest with a book resting on them. She had decided to retreat outside after Grace and Mildred had started a heated debate over something or other, their loud voices too much of a distraction. The walls weren't thick enough either, as she could hear them clearly from her room. So the grounds had been her best bet, as it was a nice warm day. The clouds were sweeping slowly across the sky, sometimes engulfing the sun to bring a cold breeze across Erudio Academy grounds.

The book Hermione was reading would prepare her for her next lesson, '_Ministry Policies'. _Perhaps not as exciting as her other lessons, but still very necessary. A lot of students at the academy would have to take this lesson, as many courses were for jobs in the Ministry. Unfortunately, none of the words she read were sinking in. Her mind was too preoccupied with the encounter yesterday; Malfoy had been exactly how she remembered him. A horrible, stubborn, ignorant, idiot. What was it going to take to change his mind? The witch wasn't even sure _why_ she wanted to change his mind. He wasn't her friend, he wasn't her problem. Someone else could deal with him, and good luck to them because Merlin knows they'll need it.

"Morning, sweet cheeks." Hermione jumped, looking up to see a man she recognised from one of her classes.

"Morning." She smiled politely, not at all sure what he wanted or what his name was. He was bulky and unshaven, wearing a sports jacket like ones she'd seen in American movies at home with her mum.

"What you reading?" The man got on the floor beside her and rested an arm on the tree behind her head. Hermione didn't like to be judgemental, but it was obvious he wasn't particularly bright and she didn't know how he'd managed to get into the academy.

"_'Ministry Policies and Where They Came From'_." She quoted the title while closing the book to show him the front, just in case he had difficultly reading it. The witch became acutely aware of his body moving a lot closer to hers as he leaned over to study it. Something didn't feel right about this.

"You and I both know you'd rather be hanging out with me in my room, than reading this rubbish." That was blunt, she couldn't help thinking. Some men just didn't know how to speak to women, and he was one.

"Excuse me? This book is far from rubbish, it-"

"Come with me back to my room, I've got loads of books you can read." His hand grasped her wrist and alarm bells stared ringing in Hermione's head.

"No, thank you. I'm fine here." She tried to yank her wrist from his tight hold, but failed.

"Come off it, I saw the way you were looking at me in Regulation and Control yesterday. You want me." It was almost laughable that she still didn't even know this mans name, and yet he thought she'd been admiring him in class. Hermione only remembered looking at him once at the start of the lesson, she didn't know where he'd been sat during the entire time either.

"I'm sorry if there's been some miscommunication here, but I don't even know your name."

"Stop stooling and let's go." He knocked the book from her hands and she yelped, pulling away from him harder now.

"Hey!" A male voice echoed loudly in her ears, and she became dizzy as someone approached them. The mass of man holding onto her wrist was wrenched away from her sharply, but spots were forming in her sight and she couldn't really see properly. Hermione focused on the grass at her feet, getting her breathing back to normal as quickly as she could. "Now fuck off, and don't come near her again!" The voice was at more of a normal volume now, and she quickly got to her feet. In less than a minute she felt fine again, turning to see whom exactly had saved her.

"Malfoy?" Hermione's jaw dropped. Malfoy was stood with his back to her, watching the other man hurrying back to the building. She'd know that back anywhere though, and took a tentative step in his direction.

"Did he- did he hurt you?" Draco slowly turned to look at her, his face red and hands balled into fists.

"Not really, I'm fine." She rubbed her wrist, it smarted a bit. "You- you saved me. Why?" The wizard didn't not look like he wanted to answer, nor like he understood what had just happened. Maybe he hadn't realised it was her, maybe he'd just seen a woman being harassed and didn't register it was her.

"I honestly…don't know." Draco stared at her, baffled. He'd been taking a walk around the grounds for fresh air, when he'd heard a woman cry out and instinctively run towards the sound. Upon seeing Granger struggling against a man, adrenalin must have kicked in. He would have done the same for any woman, the fact it was Granger was mere coincidence. Yes, that was it.

"Thank you." Hermione's lips twitched into a small smile, and she found herself not caring if Malfoy had just knocked seven bells out of the man. Draco's eyes caught the twitch in her lips and he stared at them momentarily, before shaking his head, turning on his heel, and walking back to the building. That was his good deed done for the year, and there would be no more said about it.

Hermione watched the blonde disappear inside, a whole load of new thoughts running through her head. She would have to report the man from Regulation and Control, but didn't feel up to it right now. Instead, the witch gathered her things and made her way back to her room. It was a lot quieter than when she'd left earlier, no sign of Mildred or Grace in their shared area. She put her bag on the kitchen table and made a cup of tea the Muggle way. Doing things the Muggle way was almost therapeutic, not as fast as magic. As she sat down, Mildred's bedroom door swung open and a giggling Grace appeared. Hermione's eyes grew wide in surprise, as Grace was scantly clad in just a shirt too big for her and a pair of knickers. The shirt was one Hermione could remember Mildred wearing.

"Oh! Hermione!" Grace stopped dead in her tracks, giggle fading in her throat. "We didn't know you were back." The pretty girl tugged Mildred's shirt down to cover more of her thighs self-consciously. Hermione was speechless, taking another sip of her tea because she had no idea what else to do. "I guess we have some explaining to do." Grace turned to glance back into Mildred's room, obviously looking for help that wasn't coming.

"Just tell her." Hermione heard Mildred say from inside the room. Grace nodded, suddenly smiling again.

"Okay. Hermione, Mildred is my girlfriend." There it was, out in the open. For some reason, Hermione wasn't as surprised as she thought she'd be. The two girls were evidently close, she just hadn't anticipated how close.

"That's great! Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione smiled, still in unfamiliar territory though.

"Mildred didn't want to tell you yet, she wasn't sure how you'd take it." Typical Grace again, not beating around the bush. Mildred said something inside the room that Hermione didn't hear, making Grace giggle again.

"Well, I think it's lovely." Hermione wasn't sure how to take Mildred's thoughts on her, but didn't dwell on them.

"Yay! We'll try to make sure this doesn't happen again though." Grace grinned, before hurrying over to the fridge to grab a carton of orange juice.

"It's fine." Hermione smiled back, watching Grace retreat back to Mildred's room and disappear behind the closed door. Well, that had been slightly awkward. How she hadn't seen it coming, Hermione would never know. Looking back, all the signs were there. The subtle touches, Mildred laughing at the fact they had a room each. Merlin, they must have been sharing a room since getting here. It was astounding, the things a person could miss when preoccupied.

After finishing her tea, Hermione entered her room and got comfortable at her desk. Clouds had completely taken over the sky outside, and raindrops began to spatter on the window. It was then that an academy owl appeared behind the glass and tapped with his beak. She hastily let it in, grabbing a treat from the draw and feeding it to him. Erudio Academy had its own fleet of post owls, so students didn't have to bring their own. Once the owl was satisfied it flapped its wings and flew back out the window, which Hermione closed behind him. Poor thing, having to fly out in that weather.

With eager fingers, the witch opened the first of two letters. It was from Harry.

_Hermione,_

_How are you? How is the academy treating you? I expected you to write to us by now, but Ron thinks you'll be studying too much to write, probably true. We're doing fine, so don't be worrying about us. Training is exhausting but as I keep telling Ron, it'll be worth it. The hard work makes him eat even more than he usually does, if that's possible. Stay safe. We miss you! _

_Harry & Ron._

The witch laughed at the comment about Ron's eating, unable to imagine what his eating habits were like now if they were worse than usual. He could eat like a trooper at the best of times, and she was almost glad not to be there telling him to chew his food. Hermione grabbed her quill and some parchment, writing out a reply and being careful not to mention Malfoy. Neither of the men would be happy to hear that rumours were true, and she wouldn't be surprised if they turned up to check on her instead of settling for writing letters. The last thing she wanted was for Harry to turn up, she'd had far too much attention and could only guess how much he would get.

Once she was happy with the letter, she folded it up and stuck it in a small envelope ready for the post owl in the morning. Hermione then opened the second letter, recognising Ginny's handwriting immediately.

_Hermione,_

_I hope you're well, and enjoying Erudio? I landed in Paris with the team yesterday, ready for training on Monday. It is so beautiful here, I know you'd love it! We went up the Eiffle Tower last night! Oh, Hermione, I can't describe how amazing it was! The view was just breath-taking! Anyway, are there any good looking men at Erudio? Have you found a suitable replacement for my brother? If not I know just the guy to set you up with! Write back soon, miss you._

_Ginny xxx_

She had been wondering how long it would take for someone to mention the whole Ron situation. Luckily, Ginny only mentioned it ever so slightly, and that was about finding a replacement. Hermione was glad the Weasley's weren't mad at her for things not working out with Ron. She loved him, of course she did, just not in the way she'd first thought. Their personalities were not well suited enough for a romantic relationship, a friendship was the best way forward for both of them. It had been a mutual decision to part ways, and everyone had taken it well.

Hermione wasn't sure how to respond to Ginny's letter, cautiously writing a reply that informed her friend she was fine and that there were currently no men in the pipe line to replace Ron. She didn't want to replace him, and she wasn't actively looking for a new boyfriend. Education came before finding a partner, once her feet were firmly inside the Ministry maybe she would start looking. The witch rounded off her letter by asking how everything with the team was going, as Ginny had recently started playing Quidditch professionally. It was the youngest Weasley's dream come true, even if Harry wasn't too pleased about how often she went away. The couple were still going strong, to Hermione's knowledge, they just didn't see each other as often as they would have liked.

Once the second letter was in its envelope, Hermione set about trying to prepare for her next lesson, determined to concentrate this time. However, instead of Malfoy preoccupying her mind this time, her fatigue did. The witch fell into a slumber at her desk, and didn't get to see any more of that day.

A/N: Hello one and all! Firstly, I'm sorry about the lack of breaks between changing perspective, I am putting breaks in but they aren't showing up once published. Also, thank you so much for reading and all the reviews! I welcome constructive criticism! And anyone of tumblr, I'd love to see your dreamcasts for my characters! Thank you again for reading folks!


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